What Is the Ito Family Residence?
The Ito Family Residence is a thatched farmhouse from the late Edo period (second half of the 18th century) in the hills of Tase, Towa-cho, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan on February 3, 1976. It is listed as Ito Family Residence (Towa Town, Waga District, Iwate) (伊藤家住宅, Itō-ke Jūtaku); the bracketed name is the town that existed when it was designated, which merged into Hanamaki City in 2006. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late 18th century, while Hanamaki City estimates the first half of the century (around 1701 to 1750), so sources differ.
The house is a Yosemune-zukuri hipped-roof building of 13.7 by 9.5 meters under Kayabuki thatch, with Tsuchibisashi deep eaves over earthen strips on the south and north sides. It is a sugoya, a single straight rectangle with no projecting stable wing. Unlike many preserved farmhouses, the Ito house has never been moved and stands where it was built.
The setting is the Gakumazawa district south of Lake Tase. In the Edo period this was the southernmost tip of the Morioka domain, and the neighboring hamlet across the border, also called Gakumazawa, belonged to the Sendai domain.
Why the Ito House Matters
The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes the Ito house as a small farmhouse at the southern edge of the former Morioka domain whose plan and structure both follow old forms. Both straight houses and the L-shaped Nanbu magariya, with a stable joined at a right angle, were built in this border area, which makes the house a useful reference for rural architecture where the two domains met.
The twist is that it was a magariya when it was designated. Hanamaki City notes that it was listed as one of the smallest examples of the L-shaped type, but the repair carried out in 1978 showed that the main house and the stable had been built at different times. Concluding that the house began as a straight building, the restorers returned it to that original form.
What you see now is the result: the later stable removed and the first plan recovered. In a region full of magariya, the Ito Family Residence lets visitors see in a real building what the straight house underneath looked like.
What to Look For at the Ito Family Residence
A ridge that grows plants
Look first at the top of the roof. The Ito house has a shibamune, a turf ridge: a timber frame on the ridge is packed with sod and planted with drought-hardy, deep-rooted plants. The roots bind the soil and stiffen the ridge against wind and rain, a technique found in the Tohoku region and elsewhere. Depending on the season, a line of green or flowers runs along the top of the thatch.
Earthen walls with few openings
The outer walls are earthen, with very few windows, and the posts are hidden inside the plaster in the Ōkabe manner. Hanamaki City singles this out as an especially old-fashioned feature even for the district. Step back from the front and you can see how the low, heavy thatch comes down almost to the ground over the walls.
The big hearth and the indoor stable
Inside, a large Doma earthen-floored area and a stable (maya) behind it take up most of the building, so even without a projecting wing it is clear that horses lived indoors. The raised rooms are called dei, zashiki and okami, with a sink area (nagashi) and storage (monooki) alongside. A large Irori hearth is set into the earthen floor; it heated the house and also held the cauldron used to cook feed for the horses.
A counterpart nearby
About 8 kilometers north-northwest in a straight line, in Taninai, stands the Former Obara Family Residence, a straight house that became an L-shaped magariya when a stable was added and still keeps that form. Seen together, the two farmhouses make the relationship between the two types easy to grasp.
Visiting the Ito Family Residence
The Ito Family Residence became the property of Hanamaki City in December 2004 and reopened to the public in fiscal 2007 after conservation repairs and fire-protection work funded with support from the Agency for Cultural Affairs. A local preservation society looks after it day to day.
According to the city's pamphlet, the house is open between May 1 and October 31, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed on Mondays, and closed for winter between November 1 and April 30. The pamphlet does not state an admission fee, and we found no guidance on photography. Check the current arrangements with the Hanamaki City Cultural Properties Division (phone 0198-45-1311) before you go.
The Ito house lies in the hills nearly 10 kilometers in a straight line from the nearest JR Kamaishi Line stations, and there is no practical bus connection. Plan to come by car and head for the south side of Lake Tase.
Q&A
- When was the Ito Family Residence built?
- No building record survives. The Agency for Cultural Affairs dates it to the late 18th century; Hanamaki City estimates the first half of the 18th century (around 1701 to 1750).
- Why is the Ito Family Residence a straight house rather than an L-shaped magariya?
- It was a magariya when designated, but the 1978 repair showed that the stable had been added later, so the house was returned to its original straight form.
- What are the opening hours of the Ito Family Residence?
- The city pamphlet lists May 1 to October 31, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed on Mondays, with winter closure. No fee is stated, so confirm with the Hanamaki City Cultural Properties Division before visiting.
- What is the turf ridge on the Ito Family Residence roof?
- It is a shibamune: sod packed into a timber frame on the ridge and planted with deep-rooted plants, whose roots hold the soil and strengthen the ridge against wind and rain.
- Can I reach the Ito Family Residence by public transport?
- Not easily. It sits in the hills nearly 10 kilometers from the nearest JR Kamaishi Line stations with no practical bus service, so a car is the realistic option.
Basic Information
| Name | Ito Family Residence (Towa Town, Waga District, Iwate) |
|---|---|
| Location | 170, Tase 1st District, Towa-cho, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property |
| Year Designated | 1976 |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | 13.7 m by 9.5 m |
| Owner | Hanamaki City (blank in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database) |
| Public Access | Open May 1 to October 31 (9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed Mondays) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Ito Family Residence
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/102/107
- Hanamaki City: Conservation and Utilization Plan for the Ito Family Residence
- https://www.city.hanamaki.iwate.jp/bunkasports/bunka/1019886/bunkazai/1002083.html
- Hanamaki City: Nationally Designated Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.hanamaki.iwate.jp/bunkasports/bunka/1019886/bunkazai/1002090.html
- Hanamaki City: Cultural Property Publications (thatched farmhouses)
- https://www.city.hanamaki.iwate.jp/bunkasports/bunka/1019886/bunkazai/1002084.html
- Hanamaki City pamphlet: Ito Family Residence (PDF)
- https://www.city.hanamaki.iwate.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/002/084/kayabuki3.pdf
Last verified: 2026.10.05